Review of Federal Qualified Health Care Centers (FQHC)

Affordable healthcare is available if you search for health care clinics that are Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers (FQHC). The United States Government gives grants to healthcare clinics that provide healthcare to low-income earning citizens. Most FQHC clinics are located in small rural areas.

If you don't have insurance, money or even if you have insurance you can still get quality affordable healthcare by one of these centers. The clinics bill patients on what is called "Sliding Scale Fee" that is determined by the government and is based on poverty rate levels as dictated in the United States.

One feature that is unknown about FQHC clinics are that most also has a pharmacy where you can get deep discounts on prescription drugs. This includes if you have insurance as well. I worked at Community Health Systems in Beckley, West Virginia for about five (5) years and seen the impact and growth of people seeing doctors here and receiving huge discounts on prescription drugs.

Most FQHC pharmacies operate with a 340b contract where the pharmacy can purchase prescription drugs way below wholesale costs from pharmaceutical companies. The savings is passed on to people that can't afford medicine and people that have insurance as well.

One negative aspect of FQHC clinics is that they're only for low-income people. However, this stereotype is so wrong because they have top doctors in specialized fields and the clinics are very clean.

Most doctors in FQHC clinics practice internal medicine, family practice and ob/gyn. One attraction for doctors to work for FQHC clinics is that the Federal Government will provide student loan grants and the clinics will usually match what the United States Government pays.

Doctors that work for FQHC clinics are paid a very attractive salary along with benefits. Any doctors looking for an opportunity to start in a FQHC clinic contact Devonna Smith, Human Resource Director, for Community Health Systems, Inc located in Beckley, West Virginia with over eight (8) locations. Her phone number is 304-252-8324.